Nintendo split a fairy tale across two disks — not as a limitation, but as a moment to catch your breath.
The Famicom Fairytales series was Nintendo's attempt to bring literary adventure experiences to a platform dominated by action titles, aimed at a broader family audience. Yuuyuki, developed by Pax Softnica under Nintendo's direction, followed Shin Onigashima in using a two-part FDS disk structure — releasing the first half and second half on separate disks. This format was born of storage constraints but functioned as a natural chapter break: you played through the first part, obtained the second disk, and returned to the story with a pause built in. The fairy tale adapted was a classic of Japanese folklore, filtered through a comedic and adventurous retelling. Decades later, the game was added to the Nintendo Switch Online Japan library — a quiet acknowledgment that the experiment was worth preserving. Nintendo made room for slow stories at a moment when the industry was racing toward speed.
About this game
Famicom Fairytales: Yuyuki is a 1989 adventure game jointly developed by Pax Softnica and Nintendo for the Famicom Disk System, released in two separate parts across October and November. The sequel to Shin Onigashima, it reimagines the classic Chinese folk tale Journey to the West (西遊記, Saiyuki) through a comedic, contemporary lens — placing familiar folklore characters in absurd modern situations. Like its predecessor, it combined fully voiced narration, hand-drawn visuals, and branching dialogue choices to create a storybook experience unlike anything else on the Famicom.
Gallery
The Story Behind
The ふぁみこんむかし話 (Famicom Fairytales) series was Nintendo's attempt to bring literary adventure experiences to the Famicom platform — games aimed at a broader family audience than typical action titles. Pax Softnica, the contracted developer, had already worked with Nintendo on Volleyball and other titles. Yuuyuki's two-part structure was a natural extension of Shin Onigashima's format. Decades later, the series gained renewed attention in Japan when figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu cited Shin Onigashima as a formative childhood experience, introducing the franchise to a new generation of fans.
Tricks & Tales
Like its predecessor Shin Onigashima, Yuuyuki was released in two parts (前編 and 後編), each on a separate FDS disk. The two-part release format was a creative workaround for the storage limitations of the single-sided floppy disk medium used by the FDS. The game's comedic retelling of Journey to the West includes anachronistic elements — familiar Chinese folklore heroes finding themselves in decidedly un-ancient situations — which made it appealing to adults as well as children. Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu's public praise of the series in the 2020s sparked renewed collector interest in the FDS originals.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Released exclusively in Japan for the Famicom Disk System in two separate disk releases. Never officially localized outside Japan. The two-part structure means collectors seek both the 前編 (Part 1) and 後編 (Part 2) disks for a complete set.
Maintenance Tips
The drive belt is the most critical maintenance item. The original rubber belt (approximately 31mm diameter) stretches and eventually fails after decades of storage, preventing the drive from reading disks. Replacement belts are widely available from retro hardware suppliers and require no special tools -- a documented procedure exists in multiple collector guides. After belt replacement, the drive may need alignment, which is a more involved process. The RAM adapter board contains electrolytic capacitors that should be recapped if the unit is used regularly -- leaking capacitors can damage the PCB and corrupt disk reads. Clean the battery compartment with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. FDS disks should be stored in their cases away from magnetic sources.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Famicom Fairytales: Yuyuki copies regularly.
What hardware do I need to play a Famicom Disk System game?
An FDS game requires three components: a Famicom console, the RAM Adapter (which plugs into the cartridge slot), and the Disk Drive unit (connected to the RAM Adapter). The drive requires its own power supply (six C-cell batteries or an AC adapter). Without both the RAM Adapter and disk drive, FDS disks cannot be played. The Famicom Disk System was sold exclusively in Japan and was never released elsewhere.
Are Famicom Disk System disks and drives still reliable after 35+ years?
Disk reliability varies — the magnetic media can degrade over time. More commonly, the rubber drive belt inside the FDS disk unit degrades with age, causing read errors even on undamaged disks. Belt replacement is the most common and important FDS maintenance repair. If you plan to use FDS games, have the drive belt inspected before use. A working drive with a fresh belt can read original disks reliably.
How does saving work on Famicom Disk System games?
FDS games save directly back to the floppy disk itself — there is no internal battery backup. Data is written to the disk after the save command is given, so the disk can be overwritten. To protect original game data, cover the write-enable notch with tape to make the disk read-only. Many collectors keep one play copy and one archival copy for important titles. Never power off the Famicom during a disk write operation.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Famicom Fairytales: Yuyuki
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom Disk System disk wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Inspect the disk and its shell
Disk System media is fragile — the magnetic disk can wear, and saves are written back onto the disk itself.
Ask whether it was tested and reads reliably; look for cracks or a warped shell in photos.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is Japanese Famicom Disk System media and requires a Famicom with a working Disk System drive.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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Mind the drive belt on the console side
Disk System drives commonly need a replacement belt to read reliably — this is a console matter, not the disk.
If reading is unreliable, the console's belt is the usual culprit, not the game.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Famicom Fairytales: Yuyuki sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
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